Champagne Pommery is a must stop on your next trip to Reims. The house has one of the only crayéres (chalk caves) that are 30m below ground. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 2015. Champagne Pommery is open for tours, tasting and visits.
HistoryChampagne Pommery was founded in Reims in 1836. It was founded by Alexandre-Louis Pommery who passed away leaving the house to Veuve Pommery (veuve means widow). Madame Pommery was a leader in the champagne region and has contributed to the overall history and winemaking practices of the region. Madame Pommery was a real marketing trailblazer and knew what to offer her customers to ensure success. One example is the Émile Gallé tun which hold 75,000 L or 100,000 bottles! The tun was disassembled and shipped to the US for the St Louis World Fair in 1904. Afterwards it was taken apart and shipped back to Reims where it was reassembled. The sculptor Émile Gallé was commissioned to decorate the facade. There are symbols of both America and France (including the statue of Liberty and the Cathedral of Reims). Madame Pommery was the first to create an intricate system of the crayeres (chalk pits) as she realized it was the ideal conditions for storing champagne a constant 50 degrees Farenheit with humidity. The grand staircase leads down 116 steps and is 30 m below ground. There are 18 km of interconnected galleries that link the chalk pits to one
This Article was originally published on Travel and Champagne
